Crystal Snowflakes
by D'MoNiQ
Summary: Harry dies during the war with Voldemort and wakes up as a zanpaktou with no memories, a new name and new powers. Harry/Hyorinmaru SLASH! Chapter 8 UPDATED!
1. Name

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I know, i checked everyday ;o(**

**Here's a series of drabbles on Harry/Hyorinmaru, for the obliging ones that voted on my poll ^^**

* * *

**Name**

He blinked, staring at the clear blue sky that spotted fluffy little white clouds. Dimly he registered the sounds of waves crashing against rocks and shores. It was oddly soothing. He closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the sea breeze and breathe in the salty air.

He opened his eyes and lifted his hands to stare at the long graceful digits. Slowly, he sat up, mindful of the pounding headache that was persistently making itself known against the walls of his skull. As his vision cleared, his emerald eyes darted around to identify his location and current situation.

He was seated amidst the white sands of a peaceful beach; which he observed was like a circular island that housed sparsely any plants. The ocean seemed endless from where he sat. And there were no signs of life. Not even a bird.

Where was he?

What was this place?

Where was everyone?

More importantly, who was he?

----------------

The last he remembered was blood. Lots of it. Splattering onto his vision as screams of terror and pain filled his ears. He remembered seeing green light, cries of sorrow and a single whisper of a wish. He sighed, opening his eyes to will away the hazy memories of death and destruction.

He stared into his image reflected in the hip-deep water he stood in and assessed his appearance. Black hair that gleamed with a hint of blue fell in thick uneven locks down to the small of his back but his front and side bangs was cut short to frame his small face. His features, he decided was nothing interesting, small but high nose, slightly tanned complexion and high cheek bones. Nothing impressive or striking, except his eyes. He touched his face, wondering why he felt as if something was missing. From the undulating waters, emerald green orbs gleamed, hinting mystery and wisdom.

Only one of which if true, he decided. For even to himself, he was a mystery.

He sighed, pushing a wayward strand away from his face and resolved to get something to tie all that hair to the back the first chance he could.

He raised his eyes to the islet behind him, taking in its beauty, its peacefulness and its overwhelming solitude.

---------------

It took a while before he found another being. He didn't know how much time has passed as there appear to be no nights here in these everlasting shores of paradise.

The first time she came, she was merely a child of perhaps five. She ran around delightedly, as if reveling in the freedom of having an entire island to herself. She didn't seem to notice him, standing shadowed beneath the solitary tree within the islet. Finally, he called out to her, willing her to catch sight of him. But she heard nothing and continued to wander on her own, until her dream ended and she disappeared.

The second time she appeared, she was slightly older and weeping heartbreakingly. He approached her gently and enveloped her in his comforting embrace till she disappeared back to her own world.

Then the third time came, which was the charm. The girl, now a teen, was clad completely in black, staring around the shores in wonder when he stumbled upon her.

A Shinigami, his mind automatically offered that little bit of info. He didn't know how he knew it but he knew immediately what this young lady was. And that she was his ordained partner, ready to claim her destiny. No longer was she the child who came seeking for solitude and comfort. For the first time, he had a good look at the person she had become.  
The teenager had slanted eyes the colour of the night sky which reflected strength and determination. She too had long bluish black hair but it reached only her shoulders in choppy locks. The way she stood and held herself gave him the impression that she was slight tomboyish and was likely to fight her way out if ever she was in a pinch.

He found that he liked that fire in her. And it was obvious from the way she was assessing him back that she was impressed with him.

She held herself ready as he approached.

He noticed that she was only a head shorter than him; moments before he lashed his sword out at her.

It was time to test his Aruji.

---------------

He laughed to himself in delight as she grinned at him from above. The little brat was gloating!

She had all the rights though. She did defeat him. It was time to tell her his new name.

He pulled himself up carefully, a smile still etched on his lips.

"My name is Hari," he told her, still breathless from their exhilarating fight. "Call my name, Kurosaki Karin."

**End of Name**

* * *

Here's the story: the Karin didn't survive the hollow attack during the first episode. ^___^` i'm not sorry for killing her even tho i like her. There's a reason for it.

I dunno why I suddenly felt like writing this. Maybe it's because of the popularity of this pairing in the recent poll I had in my profile.

Anyway, in case u need some guidance in basic jap:

Hari - can be needle, acupuncture or crystal. In this case it s Crystal. I choose this because I wanted to maintain Harry's name, or at least the pronunciation.

Aibou - partner

Asuji - wielder


	2. Unwelcomed

**Disclaimer: Pls refer to chap 1. **

Here's chap 2. Sorry, no Hyorinmaru yet. Maybe next chap. ;op

* * *

**Unwelcomed**

His wielder is an odd young lady, he decided. They sat together on a large flat rock, their feet submerged calf deep into the clear sea water, enjoying a well-deserved rest. They have just ended their usual sparring session, with Hari emerging as the victor this time.

"And then Ichi-nii said that I wasn't to fight," she complained animatedly, waving her arms in frustration, "Can you believe him?! I'm a shinigami! Not even a substitute like him. I mean, yeah, I died because of a lousy of hollow but hey, who's counting?!"

Hari nodded absentmindedly, kicking up sprays of cool water with his right foot. For a moment, he stared at his leg, wondering why he thought he should have more scars than his perfectly unblemished body should have.

"He can't tell me not to fight when I have you this time."

Hari looked up from his feet to meet with Karin's determined eyes.

"Ne, aibou?" she asked with a grin.

Hari felt an answering smile bloom on his lips.

"Aa."

* * *

"Here, this is for you."

Hari looked down, blinking at the gleaming bluish green cord in her hands.

"You keep pushing your hair back, I thought you'd feel better tying it back," she said, throwing the string up, which Hari caught in reflex. He stared at the trinket, feeling oddly touched and bewildered at the same time. How had Karin managed to bring something like this into her inner world?

The cord was a metre long, ending with 2 silver ornaments the shape of snowflakes littered with small white rhinestones. It was tasteful but not overly feminine. He liked it and told her so, making the teen scratch the back of her head awkwardly.

"Toushirou helped me pick it," she mumbled, looking away to disguise her blush. Hari smiled down at his embarrassed wielder.

"Nonetheless, arigatou."

* * *

"So the idiot tells me that he's far older than me, so I should listen to him," Karin complained, pulling at a weed. Hari hummed in response as he pulled on another. The two of them was squatting side by side, clearing the islet of rampantly growing weeds. It was odd that when he first arrived here, there was hardly any plants growing but ever since Karin made her first appearance in her inner world, trees and flowers begin blooming.

Trees and flowers that were made purely of little crystals, not ice crystals but true to god stone crystals, of every colour. They both speculated whether this was a sign that Karin was getting closer to achieving her Bankai.

Then the teen shrugged and set about eradicating the weeds that were thriving around the said flora. Hari had blinked and in the same nonchalance decided that maybe they'll skip practice today for a little gardening. He was stuck here for eternity after all.

"I told him that he may be a captain and that he can give me orders when we are on the field but I sure as hell won't bend to his will just because he's my boyfriend," she continued. Hari smiled to himself, trying to imagine this Toushirou's expression. It must have been hilarious.

"He nearly burst an artery," Karin said, laughing silently to herself, "he's too serious sometimes."

Hari stopped, and then looked at his companion. He remembered a serious-faced little girl that he first met in a half-forgotten dream. Before Karin the Shinigami's arrival.

"You were like that too, once," he said without thinking. Karin glanced at him in surprise then smiled wistfully.

"Yeah," she said, "I was alive then."

"Aa," he replied. How odd, he thought to himself, returning to his task at hand, that they both found more reasons to live after death.

* * *

Hari knew that Karin was in need of help the moment she called his name. Naturally, he responded to her, lending her his powers. She had yet to achieve Bankai with him but she was getting close. For someone who was only 13 when she died, she was very much born to be a shinigami.

He was jolted out of his thoughts the moment he felt it, the unwelcomed intrusion of another.

_"Hear me,"_ the deep voice whispered. _"Heed your instincts."_

But Hari stayed where he was, ignoring the presence he felt materializing behind him.

"Turn around," the voice continued but Hari ignored him, waiting for his Asuji to call upon him or to notice that someone was trespassing in their territory.

He felt more than heard the step forward the intruder made towards him. In retaliation, Hari let a small portion of his power to the ground, halting the unwanted interloper. Said man made a soft sound, most likely in an attempt to sooth Hari's ruffled feathers.

"Wouldn't you like to come out to meet your wielder?" the man asked.

"I've already met my wielder," Hari answered, just wanting to be rid of this intruder.

"In the real world," said interloper whispered.

Right beside his ear.

Hari turned around in shock, wondering when the man had gotten this close to him. Sharp crystals burst out of the ground around him, nearly impaling the white-clad man who managed to dodge by inches.

"Who are you?" Hari demanded, taking the white clothes, pale appearance, darkened eyes and dark lost aura.

"My name is Muramasa. I've come to bring you freedom."

**End of Unwelcomed**

* * *

Enter Muramasa! ^____^ Which means that Hari will definitely meet Hyorinmaru soon!

R & R if u want me to update ASAP. ;op


	3. Resist

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.**

**It's a short drabble today. If u read the author's note, u'll know why. **

**Resist**

The moment Hari came into existence, he was livid. He opened his eyes to glare at the white-clad zanpaktou that materialized him.

Muramasa barely had time to defend himself before the fiery tempered zanpaktou could skewer him with a pure black crystal katana.

Who would have thought that this petite one would be so spirited? But given how his wielder was, he should have expected it, Muramasa thought as he lured the still attacking zanpaktou away from his Asuji. Who was too busy fighting a hollow not 10 feet away, not knowing that her sword's soul had been taken away.

Muramasa eyed the newcomer in appreciation. He had long ebony hair tied in a high knot with only the shorter bangs to frame an androgynous face that would have been breathtaking if it wasn't twisted in a scowl. The lithe frame was fitted with a navy blue tuxedo tail jacket with green lining; Muramasa could glimpse the white lace shirt he wore underneath that peeked out from his sleeves, front hem and collar*. He would have looked older if it wasn't for the matching navy blue shorts that he wore which made his attire less severe. His unconventional outfit (for a zanpaktou anyway) was completed with a pair of knee-high black boots.

When he had chosen the shinigami as a target, he had watched the fiery little girl shinigami for merely 10 minutes, reluctantly impressed by her reiatsu and her determination. He had never expected her zanpaktou would be such a challenge. But his difficult behavior aside, he boasts an enormous amount of reiatsu himself. He may be of good use to Muramasa.

With that thought in mind, he channeled more power into his dominance over the younger zanpaktou.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

* If you want to see a model of the clothes hari is wearing, I found one with what I imagined almost close enough at http://www. fanplusfriend. com/ servlet/ the-439/ Elegant -Goth -Gothic -Metal /Detail (just remove the spacing to open the webpage)

I actually finished this chapter a few days ago but I was so disappointed with the reviews given for this fic that I didn't want to be bothered with updating it. In fact, I was so disappointed with the response **I was** **tempted to abandon this story**, especially when I knew that it had generated over 500 hits for each chapter and more than 50 alerts and over 20 faves for this story. However, because of my own interest in this story and the few readers that made my day by bothering to write in, I decided to continue but I'm gonna cut each chapter shorter compared to chap 1 & 2 and update slower, depending on whether I'm encouraged to do so. These are drabbles after all and I have other fics to work on that doesn't give me so much heartbreak.

Also, I want to thank sincerely those that spent time writing encouraging reviews that consists of more than 3 words: **HikaruiAi, Madbunnyrabbit, honey-senpai, Chou ni Natte, candinaru25, Lemo, AyameKitsune & Magician Girl Mirani.**


	4. Meet & Greet

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me.**

**Meet & Greet**

Hari didn't know why he followed this wayward Muramasa but he figured if there's any way to help his shinigami wielder, it was to find out what this idiot had in plan. As if Hari could be so easily brainwashed and controlled by another zanpaktou's voice and reiatsu.

He snorted silently, leveling another glare at said zanpaktou, who was introducing Hari to the rest of the zoo. With how those two biddies were fighting over that ice statue, they certainly sounded like one.

"This is Hari, treat him well," Muramasa said, shooting a smug look at the ebony-haired young man who scowled at him.

"Wah, Kirei!" a small (firefly? bee?) chirped softly as if to herself. Hari rolled his eyes. Who was she kidding? Everyone within the vicinity could hear her.

"Ceh! Nanda? It's just a brat!" the catlady with overly large breasts snorted, eyes narrowing in envy. Hari felt a tick at the side of his temple, noticing that the others kept a silent watch of his reaction. Clearly they wanted to see if he could stand up for himself.

"Obaasan," he sniped at her in irritation, voice soft but tone lethal, "everyone here would be brats compared to you."

"WHAT!?"

"Are you so old that you can't hear?" he raised an eyebrow, clearly looking down upon her despite the fact that they were nearly of the same height. He watched her steam for a while before snorting in contempt and turning away.

"Hey! I'm not done with you!" the catwoman screeched ear-splittingly.

Hari ignored her and was in the process of walking away to find some solitude when someone grabbed his wrist. He turned to glare at the perpetrator, sending small amounts of reiatsu out into the offending limb. Muramasa didn't even flinch as small but sharp shards of crystals burst out from his hand, sending tiny splatters of blood across his features.

"Try not to wander too far, Hari," he warned, tightening his hand around the thin wrist despite the pain he was experiencing. How utterly fascinating this little fiery zanpaktou, he thought to himself fleetingly. He let go of the bristling young man, still smirking in the way that made Hari itched to stab him, repeatedly.

"We'll see," the temperamental young man snapped before disappearing.

Kazeshini whistled in appreciation, shooting a look at the wound that the newest member had wrought upon their leader. Muramasa was nonchalantly pulling out the small shards of crystals from his hand but the others could tell that if the other zanpaktou had meant serious harm, he would have mangled Muramasa's hand easily.

"He is… a bit hot-tempered, isn't he?" Sode no Shirayuki noted gently.

"Aa," Muramasa agreed, before shooting a look at Senbonzakura, who was hiding in the shadows. The long-haired zanpaktou took the cue to disappear. The crystal zanpaktou never promised to stay with them and his loyalty is tenuous at best. Senbonzakura would know what to do if the silly young man decides to betray them.

Standing not too far from Muramasa, an aqua-haired zanpaktou who knew not his own name, was also deep in his thoughts. Staring at the direction where the crystal zanpaktou had disappeared to, he wondered why he had the feeling that he should know who Hari was.

-------------------

Hari watched with half-lidded eyes as little ice crystals drifted from a stalagmite. His power was not based on water but on crystallization, so even fire didn't have an effect on him. But he had always liked the way snowflakes and ice crystals looked when light hits them in the right way.

He sighed, wondering how Karin was now and if she would think that he had betrayed her just like the other zanpaktous did to their wielders. He ducked his head, wondering then whether his decision to be a spy was correct.

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair, dislodging the hair tie that Karin gave him. Black curls tumbled across his shoulders and obscured his features.

"I want to go home," he whispered to himself softly, not knowing that someone had heard him. Not knowing that someone was watching him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

1. **About the last chapter.** It's a sad day that I have to get readers to review by threatening to abandon a fic TT___TT Yes, **Lemo**, darling, I realized that it's extremely childish for me to do so. But u have to understand how de-motivated I felt after discovering a fic that I'm so fond of getting such poor written response despite that number of alerts & faves. I couldn't work on the proceeding chapters much after that. I even contemplated on totally abandoning the fic itself but it's because of the first few reviewers such as urself & my own interest that I didn't delete it from ff. net in the end. ~______~ I'm sorry, dear. I'll try to keep the chapters a bit longer than chap 3 but update will be a bit slow as work had come to a stand still for that last few days.

2. **About the Outfit.** The reason why I chose that outfit was because I thought it was fitting that Hari, who is originally British, would wear something like a tuxedo tail jacket. Just imagine the clothes that Ciel Phantomhive in Kurohitsuji usually wear. Is that easier to imagine? Anyway, that's why Hari's attire is considered unconventional as most zanpaktou wear some kind of Japanese-style clothes. Though Muramasa's coat is bit like a trench coat, he has an obi (is that the correct word?) that gives it a jap taste, ne? well, Hari's only jap accessory is the hair tie & it comes from Karin.

Kirei - pretty/beautiful

Nanda - What


	5. Connect

**Disclaimer: This morning, the moment I woke, I checked my bank account. So, apparently, since I'm penniless, I dun own Harry Potter. Or Bleach, for that matter. I just like to vent my real life frustration on the poor unsuspecting characters.**

**Connect**

Hari swayed his hair tie to and fro, watching as the silver snowflakes caught the dim moonlight and glimmered fleetingly.

He sat with his legs hanging from the edge of a cliff he found not too far from the cave that Muramasa had chosen as his hideout. The white-clad zanpaktou simply cannot fault him as he didn't specify how far he could 'wander'.

The sound of the waves that crashed beneath his feet made him think of Karin and lessened his homesickness a little. If he closed his eyes, the familiar smell of sea salt in the air and the strong breeze that wafted through his unbound hair could easily make him believe that he was home. And not stuck, away from his _aruji_, half in control and half being manipulated by some scheming zanpaktou with panda eyes.

He opened his eyes and noticed small little snowflakes drifting around him, making him blink in surprise. He looked up behind him catching sight of amazing grey eyes.

"Do you like snow?" the owner of said eyes asked gently, gracefully lowering himself down to sit beside the darkly clad zanpaktou who swiftly gathered his hair up to tie, embarrassed to be caught so vulnerable.

Hari trembled slightly at the sound of the husky voice, his eyes fluttering close as thick lashes brushed against his flushed cheeks. He nodded, ducking his head to hide his embarrassing physical responses. It had been a long time since he last spoke without someone other than Karin, Muramasa and that old biddy notwithstanding.

The dark-haired zanpaktou peeked from the corner of his eye to catch a better look at the newcomer. The tall, young man was very distinctive with his long, wild, teal green hair and the icy blue cross scarred across his handsome face. He was dressed in loose samurai-like garments with a chain around his waist and a dull gold adornment on his chest. Hari noticed then that his arms and legs were covered in ice. Very distinctive indeed. All in all, he was a fine specimen. And just as that thought registered itself in Hari's brain; he quickly turned away, sure that his burning face was an embarrassing shade of red.

While Hari was busy looking elsewhere, the aqua-haired newcomer stared at the crystal zanpaktou, willing himself to remember why this petite beauty seemed so familiar to him. Perhaps Hari knew his master, he wondered, perhaps Hari was someone that his _aruji_ mentioned before.

"Do you… know who your wielder is?"

At the sudden odd question, Hari looked up to meet his eyes and Hyorinmaru (though he knew not that it was his name at that point in time) (1) was lost in the spell of those emerald eyes.

-----------------

Blending silently amidst the darkness like he was a part of the shadows, Senbonzakura watched with narrowed eyes as the two zanpaktou seated upon the cliff gazed unblinkingly into each other's eyes.

------------------

"I do."

Hyorinmaru didn't respond to his answer, eyes still riveted to his own, so Hari decided to be blunt.

"Don't you?" he asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

Hyorinmari kept quiet, as he often did. Most of the zanpaktou that he had come in contact with, found this trait of his irritating but Hari gave no implication that he was bothered by his silence. The dark-haired being patiently waited for his answer, eyes still locked with the ice dragon's.

"No," he finally answered after a long moment of silence, "I know not even my name."

A brief look of sympathy drifted across the other's expression before it was wiped away immediately. He clearly understood that Hyorinmaru did not want pity from him. The emerald-eyed zanpaktou turned away, breaking their gaze and the spell that he held over his aqua-haired companion.

"You'll find him."

The words spoken were almost inaudible but it held a tone of finality that denoted confidence in his ability to succeed. For some unknown reason, it surprised and pleased Hyorinmaru. It seems he was destined to become more entangled in his desire to know more of this captivating creature.

"The bond between a _zanpaktou_ and his _aruji_ cannot be broken," Hari continued, not knowing of his companion's internal struggle. "No matter what that Muramasa(2) says."

In a surreal moment, Hyorinmaru distractedly noted that Hari didn't manage to tie all his hair up as a thick lock of ebony hair swayed to and fro from behind his ear. Hari didn't even seem to register the wayward strands as they drifted across his visage. Without realizing it, Hyorinmaru lifted his hand to push the long tresses behind the other's ear.

His action clearly startled Hari as the crystal zanpaktou whipped back to stare at him with wide eyes, though he did not seem to be bothered by Hyorinmaru's icy touch. In all honesty, his own actions surprised himself. He let his hand fall away, wondering how he could explain away his impulsive actions.

To his surprise, Hari turned his head away quickly but not before Hyorinmaru manage a glimpse of Hari's cheeks turning pink in the dim moonlight. Briefly, the ice dragon wondered if he would be able to feel the heat from them with his ice-encased hands.

But before he could do anything rash that would have made the situation even more awkward, a presence appeared behind them. Both zanpaktou were on their feet, facing their opponent, in just a blink.

It was just Senbonzakura, looking as formidable as ever as he stood, silent and foreboding. His icy blue eyes seemed to pierce through Hari's psyche, making the crystal zanpaktou want to shiver in aversion. Hari was by no means a weak zanpaktou but he knew very well if he was outclassed.

"Muramasa is calling us," the masked warrior finally stated, "It's time to go to Soul Society."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Finally, I've gotten to the actual Zanpaktou Rebellion Arc.

(1) I'm tired of calling Hyorinmaru the aqua-haired zanpaktou. And I sure as hell won't refer him as Haineko's darling. Even if he doesn't know his name, he's gonna be refered as such from here on out to avoid confusion. ^^

(2) Ano Muramasa: Hari's being a rude little brat here by referring Muramasa like that.

Just to make it clear; No, Senbonzakura will not play the bad guy here. He's loyal, determined & powerful. It's just that ppl can get creeped out if someone with that much focus looks at them with so much intensity, dun u think ^^ As to how one interprets that look is up to you. Senbonzakura is hard to read and so I'm keeping him that way until it's time to reveal his thoughts ;op


	6. Onslaught

Disclaimer: Pls read previous chap for disclaimer. Thks.

**Onslaught**

Hari waited in impatience for Muramasa to make a fashionably late appearance as he stood amidst the gathered Zanpaktou. Beside him, Hyourinmaru stood, as cool as an ice statue as the two annoying biddies (Haineko &… Umeboshi, was it?) made noisy attempts to catch his attention. Well, Haineko was torn between trying to get Hyourinmaru's attention and glaring at Hari for standing so near to her 'darling'. Hari resisted the urge to roll his eyes, settling for turning away from the deafening duo to dwell on some private thoughts.

Currently he knew that Muramasa was planning to attack Soul Society tonight but that was the extent to his knowledge of Muramasa's plans. However, it was suffice to say that Hari didn't buy the crap that Muramasa spouted about giving freedom to their other fellow zanpaktou. Especially not when Hari could feel the subtle power of manipulation Muramasa held over them. He was actually surprised to see that none of the other zanpaktou seemed to notice it.

Filing that thought for another day, Hari tucked a piece of hair behind his ear, then froze as the memory the action triggered filled his mind. It was that same piece of hair that Hyourinmaru had touched. At that thought, Hari felt his face begin to burn again. Willing himself not to remember anymore of that embarrassing scene at the cliff, he turned to see their 'esteemed' leader making his way towards them.

"Let's go," Muramasa said with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

* * *

Karin grumbled as she made her way to Soukyoku Hill. Why the hell did they bother to call her when she was just a third seat? Wasn't this kind of meetings just for captains and vice-captains?

"Karin!"

The teen shinigami growled and turned around to see Kuchiki Rukia running up to her. Immediately, her foul mood vanished and was replaced with curiosity and confusion.

"Rukia," she called back, "What are you doing here?"

"I was called to the meeting," her friend replied, though there was a note of hesitancy in her voice. Evidently, Rukia didn't know the true reason as to why she too was called.

"Me too," Karin answered with a frown. She may be a third seat of the 8th division but Rukia was not even a seated officer, not for any fault of her own. "This is odd."

"Yeah," Rukia answered, picking up on her thoughts. "Let's just go and see what's going on."

"Un." she agreed.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toushirou was annoyed.

First, his zanpaktou was not responding to him. This confused the hell out of him and he hated feeling so. Second, his pain-in-the-neck fukutaichou had once again left all the paper work to him. Thirdly, his girlfriend of 3 months had been ignoring him for the past 2 days for daring to imply that she was too young to attempt Bankai. Knowing Karin, she probably hid away to train secretly in an attempt to prove him wrong, most likely ignoring her safety & well-being. Lastly, the meeting for all captains and their vice-captains had a sudden change of venue to, of all places, Soukyoku Hill.

He resisted the urge to rub his temple as he waited for the soutaichou to make his appearance to tell them why they had to meet here in the middle of the night.

"Kyoraku-taichou!"

At the familiar voice, he turned to watch from the corner of his eye the sight of his girlfriend running towards her captain. It was blatant to all those present that she was deliberately ignoring him; especially to his very irritating fukutaichou, much to his consternation.

"Ne, ne, taichou, did you cheat on Karin-chan?" said annoyance asked, loudly. Hitsugaya glared at his suicidal vice-captain but alas, she was immune to the power of his murderous gaze. Matsumoto tilted her head innocently, though everyone knew otherwise. "Why is she ignoring you then?

"It's none of your business," he snarled from gritted teeth. And Karin wisely ignored them both to question her own captain as to why her presence was needed.

"Taichou, did they make a mistake on sending that Hell-butterfly to me?" she asked, all serious beyond her age.

"But my darling Karin," Kyouraku spouted, putting his arms around her, ignorant of the fierce scowls she and her boyfriend were directing at him,"I thought you came voluntarily to be with your beloved captain?"

Fortunately for him, for said darling Karin was tempted to kick her beloved captain in the nuts, his fukutaichou whacked him in the head with her clipboard.

"Taichou, Karin-san might file for sekuhara(1) if you continue your line of thoughts," she warned, pushing up her glasses with a glint in her eye. Karin just rolled her eyes at the familiar behaviour her superiors were displaying. Did they have to do this every single day?

All conversation was suddenly drawn to a halt when an unusual mist drifted across their midst and a familiar reiatsu was felt. A figure appeared before them and when the mist cleared, it was revealed to be the first division's vice-captain.

"Sasakibe-fukutaichou," Kira-fukutaichou greeted. "Where is Yamamoto-soutaichou?"

The vice-captain said nothing, just stepping forward before slumping down onto the ground in a dead faint, much to their shock. Several of them ran forward to help their fallen comrade while the others wondered what had happened. In their shock, they didn't notice an intruder in their midst until a voice spoke out to them.

"Your captain-commander won't be joining you," a white-clad figure informed them, appearing directly behind the two white-haired captains.

* * *

Hari looked on expressionlessly, as his fellow zanpaktou did their damage. He didn't want to be there and it clearly showed in his reluctance in joining the others in their quest to humiliate their ex-masters. Beside him stood Hyourinmaru who was a silent shadow, just like the other statue on his other side. Senbonzakura merely watched idly as the others blew up buildings and terrorized unsuspecting shinigami gleefully. Hari rolled his eyes as Kazeshini jumped past, crackling like a maniac on crack.

"Baka," he muttered to himself, not knowing that his two companions shared his sentiment.

The crystal zanpaktou then left his position to head towards Soukyoku Hill where he knew Muramasa awaited their dramatic appearances.

* * *

"Behold! The new forms of the zanpaktou you thought you owned!"

The gathered shinigami watched in confusion & surprise as several distinctive forms appeared behind the white-clad man who introduced himself as Muramasa.

"Is he saying that the zanpaktou have taken a physical form?" Hitsugaya whispered in incredulity. Then, he heard Matsumoto gasp behind him. He turned around to see a of a young man with wild teal hair manifesting beside him. Hitsugaya watched in shock as his zanpaktou walked away from him. Kuchiki Byakuya's Senbonzakura did the same as did several others including Matsumoto's Haineko.

This was clearly for show, for their zanpaktou has long since left them.

* * *

She didn't see him in the beginning. Which only goes to show how horrified she was with the situation that she didn't notice the familiar sight of her own zanpaktou standing beside that Muramasa. She froze for a second before her body was spurred into spontaneous action.

"HARI!"

Instinctively, Hitsugaya turned in time to catch his girlfriend before she could get past him towards the hostile sword spirits.

"Let go! Hari's there!" she shouted, struggling against his grip.

"Who's Hari?" he asked bewildered, keeping a good hold on her.

He kept his eyes on the gathered Zanpaktou, especially on the white-clad one who was smirking smugly at them.

"My zanpaktou!"

He just spared her a look before turning back to their opponents, in time to see Ikkaku rush forward to attack Muramasa. But the bald shinigami was intercepted by the figure that had emerged behind Hitsugaya just minutes ago. A figure that the youngest captain had a sinking feeling was the manifestation of own zanpaktou, Hyorinmaru. As his fellow taichou jumped into action, Hitsugaya pushed his worries away and turned to look at his girlfriend.

"Stay here," he warned the girl, who scowled at him and immediately ignored his orders the moment he left.

His strikes was parried by a masked samurai and when he landed from the momentum of their encounter, he caught sight of her clashing swords with a snow white lady. She was holding her own but his body reacted on his own without him knowing it. She squawked indignantly when he appeared suddenly to retrieve her.

And it was just as well that he jumped away with Karin at the right moment, in time to avoid a barrage of razor-sharp crystals fanning out from the ground. The others nearby too managed to leap away from the sudden onslaught. Only to see the hovering form of the freaky caterpillar-shaped Bankai of the equally freaky & insane captain of the 12th division.

"Ho ho. It looks like it's going to vomit poison at us," said captain sang.

"Let's run!" Kyouraku urged them but was halted by Muramasa.

"There's no running," he stated, just as Baboon King Zabimaru appeared.

"Hikkotsu Taihou!"

* * *

When Hari arrived at the designated spot, he had not expected to see Karin amongst the gathered captains and vice-captains. She was only a 3rd seat after all. But on retrospect, he should have expected it from that bastard Muramasa.

He felt her shout more than heard the moment she caught sight of him and withheld a cringe. As the fight begun, he kept his eyes away from her, not wanting to see the betrayal in her eyes. Hari kept his face expressionless even as she parried against Sode no Shirayuki so that Muramasa, who had turned to him with his customary smirk, could not see his uneasiness. He was so distracted by her presence that he did not notice his right hand begin moving on its own accord, lifting up to summon his crystal katana.

Muramasa smirk widened as he watched Hari's hand move in a graceful arc and the way he whispered his shikai command instinctually:

"Kizuke."

An emerald green blade materialised in Hari's hand.

And jagged crystal pillars of various colours suddenly emerged from the ground where his master stood just seconds ago.

Coming back to his senses, Hari stopped and stared at his sword with wide eyes, wondering what he just did. He had not miss the look of shock that Karin gave him as she was carried away.

"What... what was that-?"

Just then, Zabimaru emerged in Bankai form.

And chaos reigned upon Soukyoku Hill.

* * *

**Author's Rambling:**

U know, I just dun get some ppl. U write clearly in the fic summary that it's goddamned SLASH, u'd think that they'd be smart enough to AVOID it if they hate it. But still, they insist on making a nuisance of themselves by reviewing and demanding to know why ppl write SLASH fics. To make it worse, they use expletives & bad grammar.

I was so annoyed I wrote a long rant in my profile, along with a copy of what they wrote, specifically stating their names as well (which they so generously provided). So, all fellow slash writers pls be warned of these idiots. Thank u ^^

**Author's Note****:**

**(1) Sekuhara** - is a portmanteau of sexual harassment, as in seku (sex) - hara (harassment)

**(2) Kizuke** - amass, gather (basically, the idea is 'to form')

Just to introduce the characters briefly & their wielders:

**Sode no Shirayuki** - A silver-haired lady all in white. Belongs to Kuchiki Rukia.

**Senbonzakura** - A masked samurai. Kuchiki Byakuya.

**Haineko** - A skimpily dressed catlady. Matsumoto Rangiku.

**Kazeshini** - A dark shadow wielding two scythe connected with a chain. Hisagi Shuuhei.

**Wabisuke** - A dark long haired figure chained to a large coffin(?) Kira Izuru.

**Zabimaru** - A tall baboon lady with a chain around her hips attached to a little kid with a snake tail. Abarai Renji.

**Tobiume - **This is the name that Hari got wrong in the beginning of the chapter. This young girl wear a traditional kimono with a long shawl ending with two huge bells that projects explosives. Belongs to Hinamori Momo.

There are more in the next chapter.

P.S. If there r any mistakes I missed out, pls inform me. TQ. Also, I can't write the chapter in verbatim of the anime as it will take too long and make the writing a tad bit odd. If you need info, please check out http:// bleach. wikia. com/wiki /Muramasa#Zanpakut.C5.8D _Unknown_Tales_ arc_. 28anime_only .29 or download the anime to watch. U can even pm me if u need any clarification. Thanks.


	7. Wield

**Wield**

_Find Karin_, was the first thing that registered on his mind. He parted from the other zanpaktou without a word, horrified with his own actions against Karin. Why had he instinctively attacked her? He was lucky that the child-captain beside her had managed to pull her away before Hari's strike had landed.

So preoccupied was he that he did not notice that he was being pursued silently by a shadow as he raced across rooftops of _Seireitei._

* * *

Senbonzakura prepared to follow the two estranged spirits only to be stopped by Muramasa.

"Leave him," the white-clad zanpaktou told him, "We have other things to do. I trust him to bring Hari back."

The masked samurai nodded and followed his leader in pursuit of a shinigami bait called Kuchiki Rukia.

But not before he turned back, to shoot one last look at the direction where two of his fellow zanpaktou disappeared to.

* * *

"Shirou! Let me go!"

Hitsugaya sighed and let go of his hold on his girlfriend, who would have fallen onto the ground flat on her face if she wasn't one of the best student of the year, a proverbial genius on her own who managed to snag a 3rd seat within just 2 months of entering Gotei 13. She flipped onto the ground efficiently and stood up to glare at him.

"What's the big idea?" she shouted at him.

"Woman! In case you didn't notice, your zanpaktou was attacking you!" he snapped back, easily losing the composure that he was so famous for. Only Karin could ever make him lose his temper at a drop of a hat. She just made him so angry sometimes! She was also the only one that could make him feel so interested in a female, so involved and so... Hitsugaya clamped down on that thought as said female growled at him. This was not the time to ponder on his girlfriend's good & bad traits.

"I know that! But Hari don't do things without a reason!"

"Oh? And what do you think that reason would be other than rebellion?" he shot back at the other stubborn teen.

"Maybe he's being controlled by that stupid Murasaki-"

"Muramasa," someone corrected.

"Whatever!" Karin exclaimed, throwing her hands up in annoyance. Then, the two shinigami blinked at each other. It wasn't Hitsugaya who corrected her.

Karin turned around to see the manifested form of her Zanpaktou, in all his dark-clad glory.

"Hari."

* * *

Hyorinmaru watched as Hari left the group in haste and he hesitated for a moment before leaving to follow the crystal zanpaktou. He was sure that Hari was going to look for his wielder and the ice zanpaktou could not deny that he was curious as to how Hari's aruji would look like.

Hari didn't seem to notice that he was being shadowed, clearly distressed by what had happened at Soukyoku Hill. Perhaps his aruji was present?

When Hari stopped in front of two children clad in the black and white shihakusho of shinigami, Hyorinmaru hid himself behind a wall to watch his fellow zanpaktou.

Was one of those young ones Hari's wielder?

* * *

"Fight me."

Hitsugaya stepped in front of the female shinigami but was elbowed aside. He frowned at Karin in annoyance but stopped when he caught sight of her expression.

"There's a reason, isn't it?" the young woman asked, all the irritation she previously had on her face while arguing with her boyfriend now gone. In place, stood a fighter that had only shown herself ever so often in battle.

"Yes," the zanpaktou answered shortly. His emerald green eyes never averted from hers.

"You'll tell me," she demanded, "when I defeat you."

Hitsugaya, who was watching Karin's zanpaktou warily, saw Hari's lips twitch. Evidently, he was very fond of her and vice versa. That much he understood because of the trust that Karin held even after seeing the long-haired zanpaktou in the midst of the rebels.

"Aa," he agreed.

Karin, who knew she couldn't use her shikai, unsheathed her sword and met Hari's crystal blade head on.

* * *

Hitsugaya held his breath as the two dark-haired being fought, a whirlwind of black and white, their clashing swords ringing across the court.

The white-haired captain was naturally worried for the other shinigami but he knew that she could hold her own in a fight. She was a 3rd seat after all. But the girl couldn't go into shikai and it seems as if her zanpaktou, Hari, was slightly faster than her.

As if proving his thoughts right, Hari flitted from Karin's range of attack and pivoted, showering her with crystal shards from his sword. Some made their mark on the girl's thighs, arms and one of them left a thin cut on her left cheek but she managed to dodge most of them, especially those aimed at more fatal points.

"You can do better than this, Karin," her zanpaktou said, his grip on his sword so tight that his hand was white. Hitsugaya could even see a slight trembling as the zanpaktou held himself back from attacking as his aruji picked herself up. He frowned. There was something odd going on. Karin's zanpaktou seemed to be fighting against himself and was obviously holding himself back.

Unknown to the captain, Hari was indeed going through an ordeal trying to curb his 'instinctual' need to cut down his defenseless master. He had thought that he could fight against Muramasa's manipulation but it was difficult to do alone. He needed Karin's help. And he needed it quick or he might just kill her without realizing it.

"Damn it!" Karin swore to herself, grasping her sword even tighter, pondering how she was going to win without the use of her shikai. She would have to use Kidou instead to make up for the disadvantage.

"Byakurai!" (1)

White lightning burst from her fingers but Hari was fast enough to dodge the attack by twisting his body to the side. Then, without thinking, he swung the sword in a horizontal arc, just like he did at Soukyouku Hill.

"Shinkousai!" (2)

Karin couldn't move fast enough to evade the long thin pillars of crystal that emerged from the ground, piercing first her right foot, halting her movement and causing her to tumble down with a shocked cry. Then one emerged to stab her left thigh, spraying crimson blood into the air. She withheld her scream but twisted in pain, fortunately avoiding a garnet pillar from piercing her left lung and possibly her heart.

The close shave didn't nearly stop just one heart. Hitsugaya had shouted her name just as Hari stopped himself from shoving more of his Reiatsu into the ground where Karin was pinned.

"Shit!" The female shinigami was struggling to pull her twisted foot out of the protruding crystal when a shadow fell over her.

"Get up."

She glared up at her zanpaktou, but stopped to stare in surprise. Salty tears that were not of her own, fell onto her cheeks as she took in his pale countenance, the pain in his emerald eyes and the white hands gripping hard at the crystals dyed with her blood.

"Hari," she breathed. Then, the pillars broke, shattering into million pieces, freeing the captive from her painful prison. Immediately, Karin quickly struck out, swinging her sword blindly, still aware that their fight was still proceeding. She picked herself up unsteadily, shaking her head to clear the black spots in her vision. She was losing a lot of blood from her injuries but she wasn't about to give up when Hari was asking for her help. She couldn't.

Automatically, she lifted her sword.

"Kizuke, Hari!"

Karin gritted her teeth when nothing happened. Her vision was getting darker by the second. She didn't have much time left.

"Byakurai!" Once again, it was averted easily by an increasingly disappointed Hari. It was so easy to read his impassive expression after so many days spent in his company. Karin didn't fault him for feeling so frustrated with her because she was irritated by her own helplessness. Didn't she promise herself that she wouldn't be a damsel in distress? Didn't she want to get stronger to prove to her brother that she could take care of herself, so that he wouldn't have to worry about her in the living world? Didn't she promise Hari that too?

"Karin."

She blinked through her haze to see Hari hold his sword in front of him.

"Hirogeru…," the green crystal sword dissolved. "Diamond-"

Karin's eyes widen as the sparkling particles drifted across her vision. "Shit!" she turned to a surprised Hitsugaya and shouted: "Don't breathe!"

"-Dust."

Blood erupted from her lips.

-------------------

Hitsugaya put a hand to his mouth and nose, holding his breath. He had never seen Karin use this ability before, her favourite being Shinkousai. This one, from what he gathered was more lethal.

Gleaming diamond particles made its way into the opponent's airways, into the bloodstream, then into the organs, making a bloody mess when it breaks out back into the air.

The amount of blood streaming out from Karin's prone body was enough to freeze his own blood but when the zanpaktou that Karin once called her own materialized his sword, Hitsugaya couldn't stop himself from reacting.

------------------

_Get up! You're stronger than this!_ He shouted in his head.

_Get up!!_

As if watching from a behind a window, he was unable to control himself from lifting his sword up to decapitate his wielder. But his sword was fortunately intercepted and his green eyes met cold blue ones.

"Don't interfere," he told Hitsugaya, frowning at the young captain.

"Don't do it," the shinigami warned… pleaded, Hari could no longer tell. He felt numb and frustrated, could no longer tell what he was doing anymore. Flexing his fingers around his sword, he lifted it again, the words stumbling out of his lips.

"Diamond Dus-"

"Hari." A hand grasped his from behind, stopping what would be his final blow.

He turned his head to see the now familiar sight of his aqua-haired companion.

"You."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the slow update. Wanted to make this chapter longer. Here's the translation:

**Byakurai** - White lightning

**Shinkousai** - Deep crimson calamity (this one is an original idea) Sounds better in Jap, unfortunately, **Diamond Dust** sounds odd in Jap so I kept it in English. Sorry if it's confusing. But hey, this is a fanfic. ~___~` (Pls dun flame me....)

**Hirogeru** - disperse or spread

Here some of the other zanpaktou I left out previously:

**Muramasa** - clad in a white trench coat, this brown-haired young man with dark circles around his eyes claims to have killed his own master.

**Tengen** - a big red guy who doesn't talk. Is able to generate fire from his mouth. belongs to Komamura-taichou.

**Houzukimaru** - a burly red man who loves to talk and fight. Is able to keep up to Ikkaku's lucky dance, so naturally he belongs to Madarame Ikkaku.

**Fujikujaku / Ruriirokujaku** - a flamboyant man in green feathers(?) belonging to Ayasekawa Yumichika.

I can't remember any other zanpaktou. If there are more, remind me & I'll add them in as an afterword in the later chapters.


	8. Waiting for a Kiss

**Disclaimer:** Posted at chapter 1.

**Waiting for a Kiss**

To say that Hitsugaya was surprise would be an understatement. He was so startled by Hyorinmaru's sudden appearance that he froze for a moment. A moment long enough for the ice zanpaktou to wrap his free arm around Hari's waist and disappear with his distressed comrade.

"Wait!-," But it was too late by then. There was no sight of the two sword spirits anymore and he didn't waste time on contemplating whether to chase after them or not as there were more important things to worry about.

"Karin! Shikkari Shiro!"

* * *

"Let go!"

Hyorinmaru held the small waist tighter, frowning into the dark hair that seemed to be enveloping his vision.

"What are you doing!?" the smaller zanpaktou demanded, struggling against his embrace. Finally, to Hyorinmaru's relief, they arrived at the cliff where they first conversed. "Why are you interfering!?"

The moment they landed, Hyorinmaru shifted his grasp, catching hold of the small wrists before Hari could cause any damage to him or himself. He stared into the defiant green eyes, which was burning brightly with anger.

"You would have killed her," he whispered urgently, trying to remind him of his love for his wielder. "You would have killed your _aruji_ if I hadn't stop you."

His words stung Hari, who stopped struggling to slump onto the larger zanpaktou. Now that he was away from Karin, his thoughts cleared of any unwanted emotions. Memory of Karin's blood on his hand flashed across his mind and he winced. He dreaded to think what he would have instinctively done to her if Hyorinmaru never arrived.

"You know her limits," Hyorinmaru continued, "she-"

"-would have survived," Hari interrupted him, "but she would not ever be able to fight again."

Hyorinmaru held him, feeling the smaller zanpaktou shiver and tremble as he thought of what he had done. Then Hari looked up into his eyes, emerald orbs filled with deep regret and remorse.

"Thank you," Hari wept, "Thank you for saving her."

* * *

Kyouraku stood beside the bed where one of his own members laid, his face grim for once. Unohana-taichou explained to both him and Hitsugaya –taichou that she could have died if the injuries hadn't only been superficial. Other than the wound on her thigh and foot, the rest of the damage was minimal at best.

"At worst?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Her airway is slightly wounded from inhaling some of the particles," Unohana explained, "But her organs are intact and uninjured."

"In other words, this Hari really did hold back," Kyouraku vocalized the words that were unsaid.

"It seems like it," the female captain clarified.

"Hari…"

All three captains looked over to the injured girl, who was groaning into awareness.

"Karin," Hitsugaya sat beside her, brushing her unruly hair away from her eyes, worry evident in his eyes despite his frown, "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been run over by the same truck twice," she mumbled, turning to look at him. She was assessing him back for any injuries. Hitsugaya felt a twinge of annoyance. She was the one lying in a sick bed and she was worried for him!?

"Where's Hari?" she asked hoarsely, after ensuring herself that her hard-headed boyfriend was uninjured.

"He's gone," Hitsugaya answered. "With Hyorinmaru."

"What a pair," she mumbled again, putting a hand over her eyes. She didn't know who she was referring to; Hari and herself; Hari and Hyorinmaru; or Toushirou and herself. Unohana and Kyouraku watched in silence as the two lamented their lost partners.

"He was crying."

"Karin?" Hitsugaya looked at her but couldn't see her face as she had covered it with both her hands. However, the silver-haired _shinigami_ could detect clear trails of tears running from the corner of her eyes down to the hairline at her temple.

"Hari," she said, "He was crying."

All three captains frowned at her words. Her _zanpaktou_ was crying?

"He was crying… and I couldn't help him."

* * *

Hari sat in silence, back turned away from the others as he brooded to himself. If Karin could see him now, she would have teased him for sulking. The thought of his wielder made him feel even more depressed. Would Karin hate him now?

"Oi, pretty boy, I heard you beat up your _aruji_," an arm wrapped around his shoulder and he had to curb his urge to jump in surprise. He settled for turning around to glare at the offender, who just grinned mockingly at him.

When the crystal zanpaktou didn't bother to answer him immediately, Kazeshini let his arm fall from the small shoulders. His survival instinct was screaming at him to get away from the petite creature who was glaring daggers at him.

"Do I need to remind you that you're in my territory right now?" Hari finally said in a dangerous whisper. The darkness of the cavern didn't dim the brightness of his emerald eyes; in fact, his eyes seemed to be glowing unnatural neon green. It was mesmerizing and treacherously misleading. A fact that Kazeshini was reminded of when a glitter of light drifted in front of him. When he caught sight of the drifting crystal flower, he knew he was being warned off by this child-like zanpaktou, who probably thrived in a cave full of crystalised stones.

"Don't need to get so annoyed," Kazeshini held up both arms in a placating motion. "I was just asking."

The emerald eyes slid away, dismissing the shadow zanpaktou. Kazeshini didn't know whether to be glad about this turn of event. While he was annoyed at being bested by a being smaller than he was, he wasn't suicidal enough to piss someone who could turn him into a pin cushion by crystalising all the blood in his body.

Now that he was left alone again, Hari leaned against the cool wall, watching with a distant sense of detachment as the others begin to talk and fight.

The two females, Haineko and Umeboshi were catfighting again, not too far from where he sat, rolling around indignantly, pulling each other's hair. They stopped only when they caught sight of an imposing figure with aqua-hair watching them with a half-frown. Immediately, Haineko released the dark-haired girl who lost her balance and fell off to the side.

"AH! Darling! Save me. Tobiume is being mean to me," Haineko whined, making her way towards the nonchalant ice dragon.

"Wait a minute! Haineko, knock it off!" Tobiume shouted at the catlady, running around Hyourinmaru in an attempt to get to Haineko who was making faces at her.

"See! She's so scary!" Harineko taunted, dodging behind the ice statue.

"Stop that! And stop bugging him!" Tobiume shot back.

"What is this commotion?"

At the voice, everyone turned towards the newcomer. Muramasa stood at the steps to the entrance, looking down at the two females, who quickly and guiltily denied any altercations between them.

Hyourinmaru took the opportunity to walk away from them and headed in a straight line to his constant silent companion, who warily watched him approach then turned away from the aqua-haired Zanpaktou, still embarrassed by what happened between them the night before.

_**Flashback**_

_Hari wiped his tears away, his cheek heating up from embarrassment. Imagine, he thought to himself, crying like he was still a child. He must seem very immature to his fellow zanpaktou! He quelled any thoughts that sparked in his mind pointing out that half his embarrassment was from the warmth of happiness that he felt when embraced within the ice dragon's safe arms._

_He looked up to tell his aqua-haired companion to let him go but his words did not come out. They were lodged in his throat the very moment their eyes met, emerald green and silvery gray. For a moment, it seemed as if an eternity passed and everything was in slow motion._

_His dark lashes brushed against his burning cheek as his eyes closed on their own accord before he even realized what was actually happening. The initial graze on lips was gentle at first then the pressure increased and Hari was lost in the spiral of sensations that bloomed within him. Instinctually, he opened his lips at the slight nudge the other was giving and begin to reciprocate the little nips and licks, their essence entangling just as the hand in his hair ensnared the thick dark locks. _

_He didn't know how long they kissed but when they reluctantly broke apart to breathe, the air and ground around them were littered with snowflakes and crystal flowers. Hari blinked rapidly, willing his mind to snap out of the haze that seemed to be drowning any form of thought. Cold fingers touched his face, caressing gently and Hari unconsciously turned towards the ice-encased palm. His own fingers flexed, bunching the fabric beneath them before he quickly smoothed out, unwilling to crumple the other's clothes. He could feel the heart beating in the broad chest through his fingertips and wondered why the ice dragon's heartbeat seemed so steady when his own was fit to burst out of his ribs._

_Why was the other so unaffected?_

_Finally coming to his senses, Hari broke the embrace, shaking his head to clear the remnants of the haze the kiss had caused. Hyorinmaru's arms fell somewhat reluctantly but the dragon wasn't about to let this slide so easily._

_"Hari."_

_"We should go," the dark-haired young man interrupted, turning away from his companion to hide his horrified flush. What was he doing? Romancing with another zanpaktou when he should be worried about Karin!? when he should be thinking of how to break Muramasa's manipulation?_

_The other made a move that looked as if he was making a grab for Hari's hand but the dark-haired zanpaktou evaded it subtly and did the one thing he could do at that moment in time._

_He fled. _

_**End of Flashback**_

He had ran like a coward and hid from the ice zanpaktou for an entire day, until now. With no where to escape, Hari could only be resigned to the fact that he had been cornered. From the corner of his eyes, Hari watched with a twinge of annoyance and jealousy at the ice dragon's unaffected countenance. Why couldn't he be as impervious by their proximity as the other?

He was hypersensitive to his presence beside him, his skin prickling merely from a brush of his clothes even time the aqua-haired man moved and every movement reminded him of their kiss. Just from the reminder alone was enough to make the crystal zanpaktou blush bright red and he found himself eternally grateful for the lack of light where he was sitting and that no one was paying any attention to him.

Directing his mind away to distract himself, he tried to pay attention to what the other zanpaktou were conversing about.

"Muramasa-san, I hear that you let a Shinigami go," Houzukimaru questioned. "That's not like you."

Muramasa stared at him for a moment before answering, "Kurosaki ichigo."

Hari barely stopped himself from reacting to the name that Muramasa uttered. Kurosaki… Ichigo. That's Karin's brother, right? The substitute _shinigami_.

"He has a unique ability."

Hari was snapped out of his thoughts of Karin's brother as Muramasa continued to talk but Kazeshini intercepted with a snort of disdain.

"He's nothing but a weak substitute shinigami," the shadow said, "I'll tear him apart if I see him."

"No, If possible, I would like to take him alive," Muramasa said, coming down the stairs. Hari felt a sinking feeling at the pit of his abdomen. This did not sound good at all. What was that panda-eyed bastard planning now?

"He… That sounds like fun," Tobiume said. Gegetsuburi got up from his chair and grinned in anticipation.

"Sounds interesting. Count me in!"

Even Haineko seemed to be agreeing. "Well. It'll keep me from getting bored," she said, fiddling with her brown locks.

The other zanpaktou too had looks of anticipation in their faces as they got up, prepared to ambush Soul Society for the second time in two days.

Before he could stop himself, Hari looked at Hyorinmaru only to find the other man's grey eyes on him, waiting for his decision. Hari looked a way for a moment then shook his head.

No, he wasn't ready to face Karin again, not yet. He would wait, till the right time came. It would be the right thing to do.

**Tsudzuku **---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:** This is hot from the oven. Just completed today. If there are any grammatical or spelling mistakes, pls inform me and I'll do the appropriate corrections asap. ^___^

And yes, I changed the original title because I thought it'd be more apt. ^^` Dun u think Crystal Snowflakes sound prettier?


End file.
